


Anything With You Is The Best

by mansikka



Series: A Weekend Away [3]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Swimming, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-09 19:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18645016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: Michael and Alex indulge in a lazy morning swim before taking a slow drive back home.





	Anything With You Is The Best

"So. We're all packed up. How would you feel… about taking a swim before we leave?"

Alec lifts his head from Michael's chest and rests his chin on his sternum, gently squeezing his side. "Here?"

"There is a pool here. I checked. I even checked the opening hours."

It was one of the things that had made him book here. Michael might have avoided the most expensive of rooms wanting to keep money aside for other things over the weekend if they came across stuff to do. But the reviews for here had mentioned how good the pool was. Michael just hopes Alex won't feel uncomfortable because of his leg.

"I… didn't bring anything to swim in."

"Not up for skinny dipping?" Michael asks, tilting his head to look Alex over. "Pity."

Alex smiles and presses his face back into his chest. "I'd skinny dip with you here, or anywhere, if there were no _cameras_."

"I will hold you to that," Michael replies, tilting his chin up asking for a kiss. "And besides. I _packed_ for you. Remember?"

Alex opens his mouth to speak but pauses, his lips turning up into a curious smile. "I… didn't even know I _had_ … what _do_ I have? To swim in?"

"Maybe I went shopping."

" _Maybe_?" Alex asks, that smile now becoming delighted as he pitches up the bed to brace against his palms.

"Yeah."

"Did you… buy any for you?"

"I already had some."

"You have them _with_ you?"

"Obviously," Michael replies, preening for the predatory way Alex looks him over.

They're already packed. All they need to do is put their bags in the truck and hand their keys back to reception. Michael has their swimming trunks in a pocket of his bag for easy access, and they might as well take advantage of the showers downstairs where they can change once they are done. Of course, if Alex even _want_ to do this.

Alex bites on his lower lip as he studies his face then shifts without warning, shimmying his way off the bed. "Let's go swimming."

* * *

Michael was right. Navy blue is a _really good_ color on Alex. Though he's pretty sure just about every other color would be as well. But as Michael watches him stand by the pool arranging a towel on the side ready to climb in, he still thinks he deserves congratulations for making such a good choice.

Alex is nimble as he removes his prosthetic and turns, gently lowering himself into the pool. His grip is light on the side as he gets used to the water, before he looks up at Michael with a triumphant smile. His eyes drift down to linger over the grey trunks Michael is wearing. Alex reaches out to squeeze his ankle encouraging him to get in.

"Is it warm?"

"It is," Alex says, moving to the side as Michael sits. Michael lowers himself in reaching immediately for Alex's waist.

"You good?"

"This is perfect," Alex insists, leaning in to kiss him then just laying back in the water, relaxed as anything. Michael's eyes are on his leg as it lifts but Alex doesn't appear concerned at all. If anything he looks _free_ for floating. Michael debates how much work it would take to make Alex a swimming pool behind his cabin before he turns and starts wading towards him.

Alex flips over in the water and begins to swim; slowly, unhurried, with just enough force for Michael to have to make a little effort to keep up. Michael will always be in awe of how quickly Alex adjusted to losing his leg. And to watch him now, adjusting to swimming when he can't have done since his accident leaves Michael _proud_. Even more so for the joy on his face when they have both swum a couple of lengths and he comes to a stop at the side.

"This is the _best_ ," Alex says, his expression filled with glee. Michael gets one hand on the side to steady himself since this end of the pool is a little deeper and he's glad for it, for the way Alex's arm just curls around his waist. He opens his mouth to comment but Alex kisses him quiet, his fingers as they always do finding their way into Michael's hair.

"I take you camping under the stars, win you stuff at a carnival, and _this_ is the best?" Michael teases, adjusting so he's half-leaned on his forearm against the poolside for more support.

"Doing anything with you is the best," Alex tells him, nuzzling at his jaw. "But this is… I haven't done this in so long."

"Then. We should get to it. Right?" Michael asks, smacking a kiss to his cheek and carefully pulling from his grip before swimming away.

Alex catches up with him in seconds, and after another length their swim becomes playful, with more splashes in each other's faces than any strokes across the pool. Alex's laughter echoes out when Michael gets his foot in his side making him fall back and splutter. Though seconds later Alex is getting his revenge by diving beneath Michael and tackling his thighs.

Michael paddles away from him laughing, wiping the water from his eyes. Alex sneaks up behind him and loops his arms around his waist getting a kiss to his shoulder before propping himself up beside him. And this time it's Michael that leans in to kiss him, Alex only tilting his head in invitation. Michael is barely aware of other people in the pool with them and only realizes when a guy swims up beside them and smirks before taking a drink from a water bottle on the edge of the pool and turns to swim away again.

"We got a pool still back in Roswell. Right?" Michael asks, remembering the dirty cramped thing they'd been expected to use back in school.

"I've not really thought about it."

"We should check."

"We will," Alex agrees, leaning in for another soft kiss before splashing more water over the back of Michael's head and laughing as he swims away again.

* * *

"You gonna pick a direction?" Michael asks once they're in the truck. He half-wishes they had a little longer, is already sad that tomorrow morning he'll wake up to Alex leaving for work. He's already invited himself to stay at Alex's cabin tonight. "Unless you're in a hurry to get back?"

"Not at all. I'm pretty hungry, though."

"Yeah? What do you feel like?"

Alex tilts his head to the side pursing his lips in thought. "I want… okay. What's the one thing we always want to eat back home, but nowhere ever does it real good?"

"Uh… everything?"

"Nothing's _that_ bad," Alex protests, laughing, sliding his hand into Michael's.

"Nothing's that _good_ either."

"Just because you've been spoiled with my cooking—"

"More like you've been spoiled with _mine_ ," Michael retorts, raising an eyebrow when Alex looks. Alex grabs his hand between both his own to lift and kiss, still tilting his head in thought.

"I think… I want like… spaghetti?"

"Yeah? You want us to find an Italian place?"

Alex nods, kissing his shoulder as he drags out his phone. "I'll look somewhere up."

* * *

Michael doesn't think he can eat another bite. He pushes his plate away watching Alex still working through his in determination, nudging his foot against Alex's beneath the table. "I'm gonna burst."

"Don't do that."

"I don't think I can drive for a while," Michael adds, patting his stomach. He's moments away from slipping into a food coma. It's worth it because their lunch was so good, but he's half-tempted to climb into the back of the truck and sleep for an hour.

Alex nods, and Michael expects him to offer that he take over the driving for a while. But he doesn't, instead wipes his mouth and drains his coffee. "Well. There's a park we passed a couple of blocks from here. We could… walk there? Find a bench. Sit for a while."

"If we walk there _slowly_ , I could do that."

It's a beautiful afternoon with barely a cloud in the sky. They have nothing they need to be doing; a walk in the park sounds like a perfect idea. They sit for a few minutes after Alex announces he is full as well, then slowly make their way outside.

"I could make spaghetti like that," Michael says taking Alex's hand as they make their way to the park.

"I'm sure you could. But it's nice to have someone else make it for us both sometimes."

The park is packed, so Alex's idea for them sitting on a bench is thwarted the moment they arrive. But they begin a stroll around a curving path that takes them through some beautifully maintained gardens, coming to a stop at the foot of a marble statue that looks out over a small lake.

"We could sit here for a while," Alex suggests, nodding to the foot of it. Michael goes as guided when Alex first sits, then guides Michael between his legs.

"We should do this more."

"What. Sit in a park?"

"Well. _Yeah_ ," Michael says, racking his brain for the parks back home they could go to. "Somewhere green."

"Next weekend," Alex agrees, loosely wrapping his arms around Michael from behind. Michael drops his head back on his shoulder and together they watch the world go by, in no hurry to do anything else at all.

This, Michael could get used to. Their lives have carefully slot together back home so that the two of them always know what the other is thinking. It's become rare that they spend an evening alone. He's always missed Alex when the two of them have been parted by whatever circumstances have come between them, and now it feels like he _can't_ be away from Alex. It doesn't feel anything but exactly what they need in their lives.

But sat here with Alex now like this only makes Michael want even more with him. He pictures them officially moving in together even if they already do in every way but saying it out loud. He imagines Alex changing career once he leaves the army, proud of the few ideas he has already. He considers what _he_ could do besides fixing things. Not that he doesn't enjoy doing that, he just wants _more_. Being with Alex _makes_ him want more; not for Alex, but for himself.

"I was thinking about… maybe seeing if I can do some kind of… correspondence course, or something," Michael says, surprising himself with how easy the words fall from his mouth.

"Like college?" Alex asks turning just enough to kiss his temple.

"Maybe. Yeah. I don't think I could stand to do the whole classroom thing. But if I did something online, I could… I could fit that in."

"What would you study?"

"Whatever I could get into," Michael says, with a self-deprecating laugh that gets him a soft squeeze and a harder kiss. "I don't know. Math, maybe. Something like that, or… physics. Something."

"I think that would be good for you. I think you'd love it."

Michael smiles for the kiss to his cheek, sure he can feel _pride_ in it. He reaches back to cup the back of Alex's head and turns for a kiss. "I'm just thinking about it."

"If you were just _thinking_ about it, you wouldn't have said," Alex points out. "I know. I know _you_."

"Maybe I'm trying this new thing where I tell you _everything_ before it's even an idea," Michael replies. It's not entirely true; Alex knows him so well. He never shares details unless he's half-formed the idea in his mind first.

"Either way. I think it's a great idea if it's what you want," Alex says, squeezing him again. "I can even clear that desk at mine for you to work at."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Michael says, laughing.

"What?"

"Well," Michael says, slotting his fingers through Alex's. "So far I've only got this image of me laid out on your couch with a laptop. Nothing so formal as a _desk_."

Alex smiles a kiss into his cheek and laughs there. "Whatever you want. _Wherever_ you want. If it's _what_ you want."

"I want _you_."

"You _have_ me," Alex says, guiding Michael as he stands to face him. Michael cups his face and ducks down for a kiss.

"Well, good."

"You want to take that walk now?" Alex asks. Michael stands and holds out his hands for Alex to haul himself up. Alex leans in for a kiss, then tucks into his side as they begin to explore the park.

* * *

"You keep checking the time," Michael says when he catches Alex checking the phone. "That, or you're waiting for a message."

"Just… making sure we're on track."

"For what?"

Michael takes in the way Alex turns his face to the window resting his arm there, catching a soft smile before he fully moves.

"Hey. What?" Michael insists, jabbing his thumb into Alex's thigh since he's been rude enough to drop his hand to put his phone back.

Alex smiles and clears his throat, turning back to look at him. "So. You know how, yesterday, I was checking to see if we could check in at the hotel early?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Alex says, dropping a kiss on his shoulder before reaching out to squeeze his thigh. "That's because the hotel _I_ booked us for tonight doesn't let you check in until three."

Michael's heart gives a hard thud. "You booked us somewhere too?"

"I didn't want this _entire_ weekend to be on you."

Alex's repeated questions towards the end of last week about his schedule for Monday make _sense_ now. Michael is half-tempted to pull to the side of the road to kiss him senseless for it, sure he'll never believe his luck.

"So you… you aren't working tomorrow?" Michael asks, quickly checking the road is clear then leaning in to kiss him.

"Not until Tuesday," Alex agrees. "We haven't had this much time together for—well. Too long."

Michael drums his thumb against the steering wheel and nods towards the road again. "So. You gonna give directions?"

* * *


End file.
